Scientists Are Growing Sperm In Artificial Testicles

There are many downsides to testicular cancer, but one of the most upsetting is the potential loss of fertility that can happen from treatment. While some sufferers have sperm extracted before surgery, others don’t have that chance, and the damage done to your reproductive organs can be irreversible. Thankfully, science is always looking for ways to fix these problems, and a recent research project goes so far as to grow sperm in lab-built artificial testicles.

Azim Surani, the director of germline and epigenetics research at the University of Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute, gave a talk recently where he went over some of his group’s latest accomplishments. In a lab, they created artificial testicles in a bio gel and allowed them to go through a process called erasure that removes outside influence from the developing sperm cells. It was successful, meaning that the artificial testicles worked as a medium for the development of real sperm.

The next step in the experiment is to monitor the growth and development of the lab-grown sperm to make sure they progress at a comparable level to naturally-made sperm. The end result is, of course, being able to generate sperm based on the genetic footprint of any subject whether their own balls work or not.